John stephenson



(No Model.)

y J. STEPHENSON.

SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR TRAM CARS.

PatentedApr. 26, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN STEPHENSON, OFNEVV YORK, N. Y.

SIGNALING;` APPARATUS FOR TRAM-CARS.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,042, dated April26. 1887. Application tiled January 5, 1887. Seria-l No. 223,460. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it mayA concern.-

" Be it known that I, JOHN SrnPi-IENsoN, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State ofNew York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inTram-Car-Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention concerns tram-cars operated by a conductor in addition tothe driver, both of whom have functions relative to passengers, and inthis instance both are concerned in the exit of passengers from the car,and the system of signals by which conductor and driver are advised oftheir duties.

In the drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is alongitudinal section of sufficient of a tram-car to illustrate myinvention. Fig. 2 is a section illustrating the arrangement andconstruction of one form of audible signal.

In tram-cars with conductors the conductors are the responsible partiesfor controlling the entrance and exit of passengers, passengers beingprohibited from ringing the drivers signal-bell, therefore the wish ofthe passen- Y ger must be communicated to the conductor; but it oftenoccurs that the passenger cannot see the conductor, nor can theconductor be always seen by the driver. Therefore my invention is atram-car with signaling apparatus by which the driver and horses may becontrolled by the sound of a bell operated by the conductor, and theconductor controlled by a different kind of sound from mechanismoperated by the passenger. To accomplish this object I make use of atram-car with a drivers vbell and any of the contrivanees by which theconductor can operate that bell. Furthermore, and independent of thebell and its operating mechanism, I attach to one or both ends of thecar an audible-signal instrument, (a whistle preferred,) to whichvinstrument is connected a cord extending along the side of the car, andon this cord I have at suitable intervalspendent pulls within reach ofthe passengers. As more vertical motion of the pull is required tooperate a whistle than to actuate abell, I prevent excess of such motionby placing cord or strap supporting sheaves at each side of the pull inclose proximity thereto, so that when the pull is drawn down it bringsdown the two sections of 'the cord on opposite sides thereof, and thustakes up what would otherwise be a surplusage of movement of the cord.The car with the parts of the signaling mechanism thus exposed, it isapparent that when a passenger not seeing the conductor wishes to stopthe car, the most apparent and convenient operating contrivance is thepull, and he therefore seizes, draws down the pull, and with it the cordwhich actuates the aforesaid soundproducing instrument. lI he soundinstigates the conductor to ring the drivers bell, causing the driver toapply the brakes and stop the car, thus accomplishing the wish of thepassenger.

As stated, the audible signal may be a whistle or other contrivance formaking a sound differing from that of a bell, this distinction beingessential, as the horses become accustomed to the sound of a bell forstarting, and, it has been found, will not distinguish between bells ofdifferent tones, so that the audible alarm must, to be practicallyoperative, give forth an essentially different sound. In the drawings Ihave shown the audible alarm as a whistle, g, combined with a cylinder,piston, and spring for moving the piston in `one direction, and with thecord G for moving it in the other. The cord is attached to the piston atone end, to a iixed point, x, at the other, is provided with permanentpulls H, and .passes over a pair of rollers or sheaves, I I, adjacent toeach pull which hangs between them, as shown. As shown in the drawings,the usual startinggong, Q, is suspended beneath the overhang of the roofand is connected with the usual belt, R; but any other gong-operatingdevices may be employed.

Having thus described the means by which a passenger, though not seeingthe conductor, may cause the car to be stopped, I now claim- A tram-carprovided with a bell and bellactuating mechanism extending to theplatform of the car, by which the conductor may signal to start and stopthe car, and with a whistle or equivalent audible -signaling devicehaving a sound different from a bell, and connections therewith arrangedwithin reachV of the passengers in the car, whereby it may be operatedby a passenger to stop the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

Vitnesses: JOHN STEPHENSON.

STUART A. STErHENsoN, AUGUsr RrrrERG-ER.

